Why is Pakistan giving security to a Chinese citizen accused of blasphemy?
Pakistan’s anti-terrorism court has sent a Chinese national accused of blasphemy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to judicial custody for 14 days. According to the news published in Dawn newspaper, Chinese citizen Tian was arrested by the police on Sunday (April 16). After this, on Monday (April 17), Tian was taken to Abbottabad by an army helicopter for security reasons, as the police feared that the local people could harm him.
According to Pakistani media, the anti-terrorism court of Abbottabad sent Tian, arrested in the case of blasphemy, to judicial custody for 14 days. For your information, let me tell you that in Pakistan’s strict blasphemy law, there is a provision of death penalty if the crime is proved. Concerned over the development, China said on Tuesday (April 18) that it was verifying information that police had arrested one of its engineers on Sunday on charges of blasphemy amid a mob attack. According to sources, this incident can have an impact on the relations between the two countries.
Pakistan is taking special care of the Chinese engineer so that its close relations with China do not get spoiled. Let us tell you that Tian was besieged by the mob due to blasphemy, but kept in a very secure prison to protect him from the mob and for the safety of the engineer. At the same time, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told the media that Beijing is verifying the information through the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan.
He said that the Chinese government always asks its citizens living abroad to follow the rules and regulations of the host country and respect local customs and traditions. In response to a question, Wenbin said that our embassy will provide assistance to the Chinese citizen as part of its duty.
Why was Tian accused of blasphemy?
The Chinese national Tian works as a manager in the ‘Dasu Hydroelectric Project’ in Upper Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Let us tell you that he had allegedly made blasphemous remarks on the employees going to offer Namaz on Friday. After which, according to the local people, the Chinese manager complained to the employees working in the dam project that they were wasting ‘precious time’ by taking leave for prayers.
According to the newspaper, the district police officer of Upper Kohistan quoted Mohammad Khalid. He said that we have arrested foreign national Tian on charges of blasphemy and terrorism. Along with this, he said that he has been taken by air and presented in the Abbottabad Anti-Terrorism Court. He said that after being produced before the court under tight security, the suspect was taken to Islamabad in a helicopter on Monday evening.
